Giddens - A call to arms (for sociologists)

Anthony Giddens published a short opinion piece reflecting upon the question "why isn't sociology again right at the forefront of intellectual life and public debate?" (guardian - http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/anthony_giddens/2006/11/post_682.html).

There are some interesting arguments. I especially agreed:

"A little bit more utopian thinking might help too - well, why not? Politics in some ways has become deadly dull. We need more positive ideals in the world, but not empty ones - rather, they should be ideals that link to realistic possibilities of change."

And some lines above he says:

"There are no longer utopian projects that would supply a source of direction for social reform and a source of motivating ideas. I'm not saying that sociology was ever itself a form of utopianism. But sociological thinking, born of the political and economic revolutions of the 19th century, certainly was regularly stimulated by an engagement with those who wanted to change the world for the better."

As you know i am all up for creating utopian ideals to strive for.

One i just recently came across:

technocratic movement - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technocratic_movement

From my reading it seems to be true that technocracy (as they describe it) is wrongly negatively connoated; I dont really see why technocracy should be incompatible with humanism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism)

The chilenian 'socialist internet' project (1970-73) appears to me to have been an socio-technocratic experiment
--> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Cybersyn